Paper I

Polity

Polity

Polity Subject Index

Navigation hub for every POLITY note in Paper I, the Constitution, the political system, and the human-rights and internal-security angle CAPF tests

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Polity

Amendments and the Basic Structure

Art 368, the three methods of amendment, the basic structure doctrine and its line of cases (Shankari Prasad to I R Coelho), and the landmark amendments from the 1st to the 106th

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Polity

Anti-Defection and the Tenth Schedule

The 52nd Amendment (1985), the Tenth Schedule, the grounds and exceptions for disqualification, the role of the Speaker or Chairman, the 91st Amendment (2003), and the Kihoto Hollohan ruling

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Polity

Citizenship and Emergency Provisions

Citizenship under Art 5 to 11 and the Citizenship Act 1955, the modes of acquisition and loss, OCI and the CAA 2019, and the three emergencies under Art 352, 356 and 360 with their named cases

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Polity

Constitutional and Statutory Bodies

Constitutional bodies (ECI, CAG, UPSC and State PSCs, Finance Commission, GST Council, Attorney General, NCSC, NCST, NCBC) and statutory and executive bodies (CVC, CIC, Lokpal, NHRC, NCW, NCPCR, NGT, NIA, NITI Aayog) with their Articles or founding Acts, composition, appointment and removal

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Polity

Directive Principles and Fundamental Duties

Part IV (Art 36 to 51) Directive Principles of State Policy and Part IVA (Art 51A) Fundamental Duties, their classification, the landmark cases, and the interplay with Fundamental Rights

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Polity

Electoral System and Reforms

The first-past-the-post system, the Representation of the People Acts, the Election Commission's role, the various elections and their methods, EVMs and VVPAT, NOTA, and the major electoral reforms and pending proposals

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Polity

Federalism and Centre-State Relations

Legislative, administrative and financial relations between the Centre and the States under Parts XI and XII (Art 245 to 293), the Seventh Schedule lists, residuary powers, All-India Services, the Finance Commission and GST Council, inter-state relations, and the Union's duty to protect States

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Polity

Fundamental Rights

Part III (Art 12 to 35), the six categories of Fundamental Rights, Art 14, 19, 21 and 32, the five writs, the right to education, and the security-and-rights provisions Art 33 and Art 34

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Polity

Human Rights and Internal Security

The Protection of Human Rights Act 1993, the NHRC and SHRCs, AFSPA and disturbed areas, preventive-detention and counter-terror laws, the human-rights indicators, and the constitutional basis of central-force deployment

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Polity

Judiciary

The Supreme Court and High Courts under Art 124 to 147 and 214 to 237: composition, qualifications, jurisdictions, the writs, the collegium, judicial review, PIL, the subordinate judiciary, and the security and human-rights carve-outs that matter to CAPF

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Polity

Local Government

The 73rd and 74th Amendments (1992), panchayats (Part IX, Art 243 to 243-O) and municipalities (Part IXA, Art 243-P to 243-ZG), Schedules 11 and 12, reservations, the State Election Commission and State Finance Commission, PESA, and the committees that shaped panchayati raj

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Polity

Making of the Constitution

The Constituent Assembly, the Cabinet Mission Plan, the committees and their chairmen, the Objectives Resolution, borrowed features, and the enactment and commencement of the Constitution of India

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Polity

Official Language and the Eighth Schedule

Part XVII (Art 343 to 351), the official language of the Union, the Official Languages Act 1963, the Eighth Schedule list of 22 languages, classical languages, and the language safeguards

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Polity

Parliament

The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha under Part V (Art 79 to 122): composition, tenure, sessions, the legislative process, money versus financial versus ordinary bills, parliamentary devices, committees, and the special powers of each House

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Polity

Political Parties and Pressure Groups

The party system, registration and recognition of parties under the RP Act, national and State party criteria, party symbols, electoral bonds and party finance, and the role of pressure groups

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Polity

Preamble and Features of the Constitution

The Preamble and its keywords, the 42nd Amendment additions, the salient features, the map of Parts and Schedules, and the landmark cases on the Preamble's status

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Polity

RTI and Transparency Laws

The Right to Information Act 2005, its constitutional basis in Art 19(1)(a), the PIO, the appeal structure, the CIC and SICs, exemptions, the 2019 amendment, and allied transparency laws

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Polity

Special Provisions: Articles 370 and 371

Part XXI special provisions, the history and abrogation of Art 370 (Jammu and Kashmir) and Art 35A, and the Art 371 to 371J special arrangements for several States, with the security dimension

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Polity

State Government

The Governor, the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers, and the State legislature under Part VI (Art 152 to 212): appointment, powers, discretion, the bicameral versus unicameral question, and the Governor's role in Centre-State tension and President's Rule

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Polity

The Schedules of the Constitution

All twelve Schedules of the Constitution, what each contains, the amendment that added the later ones, and the high-yield matching facts (Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth)

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Polity

Tribunals and Quasi-Judicial Bodies

Art 323A and 323B, the 42nd Amendment basis, administrative tribunals (CAT, SAT), the major sectoral tribunals (NGT, ITAT, AFT, debt and securities tribunals), and the leading court rulings

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Polity

Union Executive

The President, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, and the Attorney General of India under Part V (Art 52 to 78): election, qualifications, terms, powers, ordinance and pardoning powers, and the chain of advice that runs the Union

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